Heartbeats: The Jiro & Kaminari Arc
by Ajacent
Summary: Somehow, it feels like Kaminari and I are always looking at each other. As we get closer and closer, I find myself thinking...there's absolutely no way he could be the traitor, right? Not after everything we've been through. Not after the way he smiled at me and helped me realize there's no reason to be ashamed of who I am. That would be too cruel, wouldn't it? Heavy KamiJirou
1. Chapter 1: A Smile

Author's Note: This is a story about Jiro & Kaminari. Other various ships or characters may be featured in the future, however. This is a story that takes place sometime after chapter 183 of the My Hero Academia manga. This is a story that using English dub naming conventions. If that isn't to your taste, I apologize! Please read, enjoy, and feel free to comment.

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Welcome to U.A. High, the prestigious school that's turned out some of the world's greatest heroes. I'm running toward my dream in these halls, learning to overcome obstacles and bring peace to the hearts of people everywhere.

...Or something like that.

My name is Kyoka, and I'm a first year student here at U.A. I haven't even been enrolled at U.A. for a full year yet, and already I've participated in the sports and culture festivals, passed my final exams, earned my provisional hero license, not to mention fighting _real_ villains and being put in the hospital. In short, even by the harshest standards, my time here has been… _totally_ punk rock.

My quirk is called "Earphone Jack", which I also ended up using as my hero name. Straight to the point, right? I inherited that quirk from my Mom. My earlobes have audio jacks that I can extend or retract. I can plug them into walls, the ground, pretty much anything to pick up even the quietest of sounds and vibrations. I can also use them to transmit and amplify the sound of my heartbeat.

That's right, my heart is my real weapon. As embarrassingly dramatic as that sounds, it's the truth, and not an edgy song lyric. Well, actually, maybe some day it'll be both. My heart is my weapon, my power, my greatest asset. As long as my heart is beating, I can fight, I can save people, I can change the world for the better.

I didn't always think that, though. In fact, during our summer training camp, I was hospitalized by a villain with a gas quirk. If everyone else hadn't acted as quick as they did, I probably would've died. It was hard not to feel helpless after that. I would lie in that hospital bed and think about my quirk. My unremarkable, unflashy quirk. A quirk that's practically useless if I don't have the support gear on my costume. I would think about my classmates, Midoriya, Bakugo, Todoroki, Iida, Momo, even Kaminari…So many people in class 1-A have such powerful, outstanding quirks. They're heavy metal, arena rock, mainstream pop, and I'm barely indie folk in comparison. What right did I have to be in a class alongside them? They fought for their lives, fought for _my_ life, while I was on the ground unconscious.

I became a bit listless after that, even though I wouldn't admit it, not even to Momo or any of my other close friends. Jiro is tough, Jiro is cool. I had a reputation to uphold, after all. The idea of sitting across from someone, trying to spill my guts and sensitive feelings seriously just made me wanna barf––and between Aoyama and Ochaco, our class has enough of that already. I passed the provisional license exam, but again, it was mostly thanks to our class working together as one, rather than any large contribution I made. I was backup vocals. As always.

...That is, until the cultural festival when I, quite literally, took center stage for the first time in my U.A. career. Somehow, someway, I ended up heading up a live concert––singing and playing bass. I didn't want to do it at first. It was embarrassing! Music felt like a useless talent, no, not even a talent, a useless _hobby_ to me. Besides my quirk, my only special skill that made me unique was something that wouldn't help me in a fight, wouldn't keep anyone safe from danger, it was just that––a hobby. Why should I put that on stage? What worth does it really have?

" _It's so cool that you're so good with instruments!"_

Kaminari shouted at me, uncomfortably close to my face, grinning wide and brightly like the total idiot he is. No, actually, it wasn't a dumb smile. This wasn't the smile of someone who was delighting in their own joke or scheme or quirk.

He was smiling at me...because of me. Kaminari wasn't making fun of me. It was as if he saw all of my shame and embarrassment, the listlessness I had been feeling for months on end and was telling me that it was okay. He saw value in me, in my talents, that he wanted me to see for myself. I know what you're thinking. _He's Kaminari! Is he even capable of that level of intelligence and empathy?_ And...while I would usually agree, sometimes you have to give other people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe that was just what I wanted to believe but...something about him seemed so genuine. The way he looked at me reminded me a little bit of All Might. Blond hair, big smile, strong, impassioned voice…

If my earphone jacks had been plugged into something for that long moment that he was smiling at me, practically sparkling with electricity, I think I may have demolished the entire dorm. It wasn't just Kaminari, either. Koda, Momo, Toru, so many people were supporting me.

But for some reason, I spent the entire night staring up at my checkerboard ceiling thinking about the way that Kaminari looked at me. His messy blond hair that I'm sure he _thinks_ is super cool but really looks like he just rolled out of bed. His dim witted golden eyes that are always getting so bright and excited. He's so dumb. He's such a moron. But one way or another, it feels like we always end up looking at each other. I could feel my cheeks getting warm before I finally managed to snap myself out of it. Disgusting, Kyoka. Denki Kaminari? Really?

I pushed down those feelings for the remainder of the build to the culture festival. Even though we had to spend a ton of time together so that I could get him up to speed on the guitar. Even though we'd sit together and he'd listen to me talk about music theory, which, okay, there's no _way_ he could've been interested in that, right? So why did he let me keep talking? Why did he never look bored? He just kept looking at me. Enthusiastically. Like that first time he encouraged me. The look that I couldn't get out of my head.

Then the culture festival came properly, and it was something that I'll never forget. Being on stage in front of all of those smiling, cheering people––giving them my very best...it reminded me why I want to be a hero in the first place. That my heart has a lot more to offer than just sound waves. A hero is someone that can touch the hearts of others––someone that can erase stress and anxiety with their smile, with the sound of their voice. My heart was beating like crazy, and even without my earphone jacks plugged in, I knew that everyone watching could feel it too. It's not about having the quirk of a hero, it's about having the heart of one. Things changed for me that day. In some small way, I felt like I finally caught up to the rest of our class, the other passionate future heroes built on a strong ideology. Finally, I had my own.

 _ROCK THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE! SHIELD THEM WITH THE SOUND OF YOUR BEATING HEART!_

If not for Kaminari's smile, I might not have made it this far, or at least not this easily.

Stupid as it was, embarrassing and honestly, horrifying as it may have been, I needed to tell him.

It was the night of, after the festival had ended and everything was slowly but surely being dismantled. A taller student with wild, dark hair was taking apart that haunted house I had _absolutely refused to go inside of._ It was that boy Midoriya fought in the first round of the sports festival. The general studies kid. There was really no reason for him to recognize me, but our eyes locked momentarily as he slung an armful of bloody props over his shoulder. Did I do something to piss him off at any point? His eyes seemed empty and cold, as if my very presence, even like, 20 yards away, was aggravating him. I was the first one to look away––there was no way I was going to risk getting on that dude's bad side. I could have sworn he looked bigger than he used to, too. Tougher. Threatening, even. Just a little bit.

"If you're not participating in tear down, you should be off the grounds. Go back to your dorm, _Hero Course_ ," the boy's low, nasally voice was startling as he passed in front of me while I had been looking away. I could barely think up a sarcastic yet non-confrontational response before he was already loudly stomping off into the distance.

I figured maybe he was right, though, maybe I should go back to the dorms and get it over with.

I shook my head. There were still a few students milling about outside, but it had gotten just late enough that a hush had fallen over the U.A. campus. It was a beautiful night, and even over this enormous city, the stars were out. I gazed skyward and breathed in deep as I headed towards the 1-A dorms. What a day. I sat down on the steps in front of the dorm's double doors, _technically_ at the dorm so that general studies kid couldn't come growl at me again.

I glanced down at my outfit––a simple, uniform t-shirt and skirt. Even in these frankly plain clothes, I was still feeling kind of like a rock star. I was grateful for the life I had, the friends I had made. Kaminari...No need to be nervous, right? I'm just telling my friend that I appreciate him––real simple! In my clumsy hands, my phone fumbled around as I tried to decide whether or not I should text him to meet me outside, or if I should just go knock on his door in the dorms.

"Shouldn't you be celebrating, mosh queen?" Tragically, my decision was made for me as his familiar voice, booming with enthusiasm came crashing through the dorm front doors. It took maybe two seconds before Kaminari was taking a seat next to me, and I scooted away from him reflexively. Too close dude, c'mon.

"Oh shut up, Kaminari." I sneered my usual sneer. Did he not realize I was about to actually show him kindness? Yeesh.

"You missed out on the haunted house, it was _totally_ gnarly. Blood and guts _everywhere_ , zombies, undead nurses with gigantic knives and syringes––"

"Okay okay! You don't need to paint me a picture, idiot!" I cut him off by smashing the palm of my hand into his face.

" _Jiro_!" He cackled, even with my hand on his face, foiling the Shut Stupid Kaminari Up plan that I had worked so hard on. "That's right, I forgot you were such a _scaredy cat_!" His fingers wiggled obnoxiously in my direction, and I had to fight the urge to snap every single one of them.

"I am not," I wiped my hand away from his face. "I just don't see the point in trying to freak myself out, or whatever the appeal of that stuff is supposed to be."

"You can't fool me! I heard you were screaming bloody murder during the test of courage at the training ca––" For the second time in three sentences, he stopped mid-way through; this time, not because of my hand smacking his face, but the glare that I shot him instead.

Here I was, ready to tell him that the way he treated me and the things that he said to me had such an effect on me that they helped me to rediscover my passion for being a hero and he brings _that_ up. It was stupid to think of him like that. He'd always be a tone-deaf moron with no subtly, tact, or regard for other people's feelings. I wanted to jab my earphone jack into his shoulder, but even that he didn't deserve.

"...Sorry. For a second, I forgot what happened to you."

"Kaminari not thinking before he opens his dumb mouth? What a surprise."

"I said I was sorry! I...yeah, no, there's no good way to spin that. My bad, Jiro."

I rolled my eyes so hard that it hurt, "whatever, Kaminari."

I considered a few different things, sitting there silently about two feet away from him as the air seemed to get colder by the moment. Maybe I spontaneously developed a second quirk? Should I storm off? Cause a scene? Yeah, the last thing I need is some U.A. gossip column coming out about the lover's spat between me and _Denki-Freaking-Kaminari._ Kyoka Jiro, the Cold Shoulder Hero it was.

"So much has happened since we started attending U.A., it's easy to lose track of things." Ready for another excuse, I folded and tensed my arms, only to hear Kaminari's voice start to soften––suddenly, he sounded like a completely different person. "You were in real trouble back then. Everyone was so worried about you and Hagakure. It took you both a while to come back to us, so they wouldn't let us visit you until way later. Believe me, I tried to see you a few times only for the nurses to knock me in the arm and tell me 'the best thing you can do for that poor girl is let her rest'."

"...You did _not,_ " I managed to mutter, suddenly overcome with the need to twirl my earphone jack around my finger.

"I did! You can ask the hospital staff––or Kirishima, he was there too, he saw it!" He moved closer, turning his head in front of me so that he could meet my eyes which wanted to look anywhere but at him. He didn't just sound like a different person, he looked like one too. If Kaminari's quirk turns him into a moron, then whatever he did just then turned him into the opposite. Sharp, golden eyes looking uncomfortably deep into me. I fidgeted further away from him, because what do I even _say_ to that? The answer is nothing. The answer is mumble and awkwardly dig my shoe into the ground as I wait to for Mr. Aizawa to come erase whatever quirk is making Kaminari act like this.

That didn't happen though, and we again sat silently for what felt like forever; the breeze becoming colder still, the hair on my arms started to stand up.

"I know I can be kind of a jackass, but you're my classmate, and my friend. I'm glad that you were okay, Jiro. If something worse had happened to you, I…Well, you know," the volume of his voice fluctuated, and...were his hands shaking slightly? I couldn't tell. Did he actually feel _bad_? "Today was a lot of fun. The most fun I've had at since I got to U.A. Hell, maybe even before that. And..you know what? It's all because of you and your hard work Jiro. What I'm saying is...you're totally awesome!"

Without realizing it, I was clutching his shirt in my hand, earphone jacks ready to to attack. I don't want to think of how red my face was, but by how quickly my heart was pumping blood...it was probably the same shade as Kirishima's hair.

"Who the hell are you?" I barked at him, still not quite realizing what I was even doing. Or saying. Or thinking. Or feeling.

"H-Huh?"

"There's _no way_ the Kaminari I know would say this kind of stuff. You're an imposter using some kind of quirk, right? Right!?" I shook him violently in what I now recognize to be a pretty pathetic attempt at rejecting reality.

"...No? I'm not just an idiot with a cool electric quirk, y'know! I have feelings! I can...I can care about people! Honest! Everything I said, I meant it! You're a really cool friend!"

Pursing my lips, I let him go and dropped my attack lobes. I think I may have been able to squeak out a soft "thanks," but it may have been inaudible. He smiled at me and nudged my arm. I didn't take a good look, because I knew what kind of smile it was. The smile that made my heart thump, the smile that kept me up at night. The _worst_.

"What were you doing out here by yourself, anyway?" My throat betrayed me with the loudest gulping noise I could have possibly made–-it's as if he knew exactly where to take the conversation. Serving me up my own confession. Wait, confession!? It wasn't a confession at all! It just...felt like it. The adrenaline from the culture festival, the air, the stars, the quiet, dimly lit atmosphere...Disgustingly picture perfect. I quietly reminded myself that I will never take part in something so sickeningly shoujo again as long as I live. Especially not with _Denki-Freaking-Kaminari_.

"Looking for you," I mumbled

" _What's that now_?" I could _feel_ his bright smile turn into an egotistical smirk. Once a Kaminari, always a Kaminari.

"Don't make me say it again, dumbass."

"What did you need with me? Wanted to compliment me on my _radical_ guitar riffs today? You don't have to, I've already gotten plenty of––"

"It's not that––I mean, yes, you did a good job, but…" I wondered in that moment if I would ever have the strength to look Kaminari in the eyes again. Eye contact is kind of an issue for me lately, huh? What I must have looked like...a nervous, blushing mess––a girl who has no idea how to actually talk about her feelings. I just performed on stage for hundreds, but somehow I was still so damn shy. Maybe I was just used to being guarded? Hell, I still am.

"I wanted to thank you," I finished after the long pause.

"Thank me? Wait, you wanted to thank me _before_ I said all of that nice stuff just now? Man, I must be on some kinda roll, huh Jiro?"

I palmed my own face, then running my hand through my hair in exasperation.

"Don't make me take it back, Kaminari."

"Then spill! Spill your gratefulness to me. It's touchy feely time!"

Ignoring that last sentence, I cleared my throat quietly, "for what you said, when we were...No, not just what you said, um…" I fumbled over my words for a while. I'm not sure for how long, just sure about how long it felt.

 _FOREVER._ I must have lost and re-established eye contact with him at least fourteen times. I still wonder about what he thought of me at that moment. How badly I wanted to tap my earphone jacks together, but that would just make me look ten times more pathetic than I already did.

"You were supportive of me. You helped me realize that maybe I wasn't taking my skills seriously enough––what I have to offer, I mean. You supported me from the start. I...It meant a lot. So...before I go back to laughing at you and making fun of you for acting like a moron and failing practically every test that gets put in front of you…

I wanted you to know that I'm glad you're my friend. You're a cool friend too, Kaminari."

"I'm glad you're my friend too, Jiro. Today is a day that I'll never forget! No matter how much I shock myself silly." That smile again. That smile that makes its own sparks. This time, I couldn't look anywhere _but_ at it.

Before I knew it, I was smiling too. Grinning. Playfully shoving his shoulder.

" _Yaaaay,"_ I did my best imitation of his short-circuited self's catchphrase. A pretty damn good one, if I might add.

" _Hey!_ Jiro!"

For the rest of the night we laughed and smiled, blissfully unaware of how much things were about to change.


	2. Chapter 2: Totally Tight

Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading Chapter 1 of Heartbeats! Things should be heating up from here on, so please enjoy reading and feel free to comment!

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Not too much longer after the culture festival, the absolutely unthinkable happened. I got too caught up in everything that had been going on with me before and after the festival. I was an idiot who stopped paying attention to what was really important.

That's right.

 _I was late for class._

Huffing and puffing after a trip down the _way_ too cavernous U.A. halls, I delicately slid open the class 1-A door––well, as delicately as you can open a five meter high door.

Mr. Aizawa was in the middle of a lecture as I shamefully slunk to the back of the class. Judging by the horrified looks on everyone's faces, I was in for it. I briefly glanced at Momo as I sat down at my desk and she couldn't look more like a disappointed Mother if she tried. I'm sorry, Momo. I've failed you. I'm a terrible student.

"...Now that those of us who take class seriously have been graced with Jiro's presence, I can move on to announce your next big hero studies project." Mr. Aizawa and I don't exactly have the best rapport, but that was cold. Calling me out by name? I felt such hot shame in my cheeks that I started to sweat. Please, no one look at me. Thankfully, Midoriya's usual manic muttering and pencil scribbling at the mere mention of the word 'hero' drew most of the attention his way.

"In today's hero society," Mr. Aizawa continued, "things are changing. I'm sure all of you are aware of the effect that All Might's retirement has had on the very infrastructure of hero society, to say nothing of the proliferation of villains. Japan is no longer leaning on a singular hero, a symbol, to ward off the threats of crime, villains, and disaster. As the gap in power between All Might and the 2nd, 3rd, and so on heroes was exceedingly large, even greater strength is needed to keep this country safe in these tumultuous times. You all understand what that means, don't you?"

"Hero team-ups!" Midoriya's hand shot up eagerly, the way that it always does. If I could have an ounce of the energy that kid has, I could probably stay awake for weeks on end, which might have come in handy recently. Talk about the _real_ star of the show. His enthusiasm was as boundless as it was infectious, as all of a sudden the whole class seemed to be sitting upright on the edge of their seats.

"...That is correct. Hero team-ups have become more essential than ever. Some of you already have experience with working closely alongside other heroes, and some of you do not. In any case, your assignment this week will be to a create unique combination attack with one of your classmates. Familiarity with how your quirk works in tandem with another can be the key to victory in a violent situation." Aizawa's words had the class excited, and everyone was already chattering about what and with who their combination attacks would be.

" _KIRISHIMA! I'LL USE YOU AS BAIT WHILE I BLOW AWAY THE ENTIRE AREA!"  
_ " _I wanna combine my tape quirk with Iida's speed! We could incapacitate everyone in an instant!"  
_ " _Oh! Oh! My light refraction is the perfect set-up for anything! Everyone, come partner up with me!_ "

"Jiro!"

"Huh?" I cocked my head in surprise towards one Mina Ashido, smiling wildly at me. I didn't expect anyone to want to pick me. Not for a lack of confidence in my quirk, but it isn't exactly as flexible as some other people's.

"You can blow up the ground underneath enemies with those sound thingies on your wrists, right? Then, I can turn it into a pit of acid! Whaddaya say? You wanna pick me, right? Right?"

"Wrong," Mr. Aizawa's loud, toneless voice silenced everyone in an instant, and we all slunk back into our seats in unison. "For this assignment, you're not going to be choosing your own partners. On the battlefield, you'll never be exactly sure who will show up to assist you. Therefore, I'll be assigning each of you partners based on your quirks. The groupings will be…

Sero and Mineta, Asui and Aoyama, Ojiro and Sato, Iida and Midoriya, Yaoyorozu and Koda, Bakugo and Kirishima…"

"HELL YES! GET READY TO BE BLOWN TO BITS!"  
"Dude, what!?"

I was on pins and needles as Aizawa continued reading name after name without ever bringing mine up. Maybe I wouldn't be given a partner at all? Maybe that was my punishment for being late? I twirled my earphone jack nervously around my finger, silently praying to be paired with Mina.

"Ashido and Uraraka," and that dream died as quickly as it was formed, "Todoroki and Tokoyami, Hagakure and Shoji…" In the split second between Mr. Aizawa's next and last words, I had done the math in my head. There was only one other student life. No way. Seriously!? I'm with…

"...with Kaminari and Jiro rounding out the group. At the end of the day you'll report to the TDL to work on your combination attacks. You'll be doing this every day this week, so there should be plenty of time for you all to come up with something that's Plus Ultra."

It was like I got tunnel vision all of a sudden. All I could see in the room was Kaminari's dumb face smiling and waving at me, as if he couldn't be more thrilled to have me as a partner. Why are you acting like that, idiot? Everyone is looking at you!

My hand nervously shot up in the air so that my mouth could spout out a question I probably shouldn't have asked, "Mr. Aizawa, excuse me but...I'm not sure I see how my quirk and Kaminari's are compatible."

"Indeed. I was thinking something similar towards my own pairing. Todoroki's fire would be quite a problem for Dark Shadow in a combat situation," Tokoyami's deep, rumbling voice chimed in from the back of the class. I was immediately grateful to not be the only person second guessing the exercise.

"Hey, Jiro! C'mon! You don't wanna partner with me? For real? I thought we were totally tight now!" Kaminari pleaded in my direction and I felt kinda bad that it embarrassed me so much. We were way better friends than we'd ever been, but for some reason, being around him was starting to feel awkward. Something about him intimidated me. He had some kind of hold on my attention, and to say it was distracting would be an understatement. Plus, it's not like I was lying, our quirks really _don't_ go to together.

"I think she's just looking for a _real_ man to be her partner, ala _moi_!" Mineta, the class' resident ball of filth spoke up in that smug, lecherous voice of his. I wasn't sure whether to stab an earphone jack into him or Kaminari or both.

"Shut up you little purple freak! You're just mad that you didn't get paired up with a girl!" Kaminari quickly shot back.

But before I could launch my attack, Mr. Aizawa stamped his feet, again commanding all of our attention, striking fear into the hearts of at least four of us.

"That'll be enough screwing around today. Need I remind you that you're in the prestigious Hero Course at U.A., a place where there are hundreds of other students that would be hungry to take your place? Show some respect for your own position before you lose it." _Yikes_. Somehow, Mr. Aizawa's voice reminded me of the way Shinso spoke to me at the culture festival. There really are people vying for our spots. I'm lucky to be where I am, so whatever is going on between Kaminari and I, I can't lose sight of my goal.

"Now, Jiro brings up a good point," our teacher continued, "some of you may not have immediately apparent ways to combine your quirks or use them in tandem. I could have paired you with the other student with the most compatible quirk, but that would be too easy. It's important to be able to figure out what may not be immediately apparent as quickly as possible on the field of battle. Use your creativity. There are plenty of smart ways to compound each other's quirks. I better see all of you working your hardest, otherwise it's _after hours supplementary training_...with _me._ "

" _Not again!_ " Sero, Mina, Kaminari, Sato, and Kirishima shouted in unison, which earned a chuckle from the rest of us as class went back to normal––each of us already looking forward to and thinking about our hero training at the end of the day. Well, some more than others. I was mixed myself, given my partner.

As I left class afterwards, I felt a hand on my shoulder pressing down, making it feel like I was suddenly walking on Jupiter. My feet skidded to a stop.

"Jiro," as soon as I recognized that it was Mr. Aizawa's voice, I froze. I knew it was too good to be true that I'd be getting out of being tardy scot free. "If you're late again, we're going to have a talk."

Just the idea of whatever a 'talk' with Mr. Aizawa would entail was enough to send a chill down my spine.

"Yes sir," what else could I do but bow my head apologetically. As soon as I did, I felt the weight of his hand lighten a bit. "It won't happen again."

"Right. You're a good student, Kyoka. Which is why I expect nothing less than the absolute best from you. ...However, even top of the line student have off days, so I'm willing to overlook it this time. Don't go starting bad habits in your first year."

He disappeared before I could ever even lay an eye on him, but the interaction, however brief, was exhausting enough to have me slumping against the hallway well afterwards. I closed my eyes and touched a hand to my forehead with the other loosening my tie, _phew_.

It wasn't long before I felt another hand on my shoulder, and assuming it was Aizawa again, I shot back up off of the wall. "Sorry! I know I shouldn't be––"

Mercifully, it wasn't Mr Aizawa, but Momo Yaoyorozu looking as picture perfect as ever. Does this girl just _wake up_ beautiful? Her dark bangs hanging perfectly, precisely over her forehead, her thick luxurious ponytail, pristine skin...Dude, _so_ unfair. Not that I'm looking to be the princess type, but I can't say it wouldn't be nice to glow like a freaking fairy every once in a while. A punk rock fairy, of course.

"There's absolutely nothing to apologize for! I'm sorry that I may have startled you. It's just that I couldn't help but feel as though I were missing something."

I quirked an eyebrow at her demure expression.

"Missing something? Why, what's up?"

"The idea that one of my classmates may be suffering something terrible and I've had no idea, it's shameful! The uncomfortable look on your face when you walked into class, the way you seemed so awkward and unsure throughout Mr. Aizawa's lecture––being that tardy for class is so unlike you, Jiro…" No one really had any interest in letting me live down that being late thing, did they? I looked away and pursed my lips. Jeez, Momo...Way to make a Momountain out of a Momolehill.

"Uhh...I'm fine, really," there I went, twirling my earphone jack around my finger again. If I'm being 100% honest, I can't say the attention wasn't nice. Momo is a good friend.

"You can always talk to me if something is going on, I won't judge you. It's just...you've seemed rather distracted lately, now that I think about it." _Stop thinking about it!_ I all but shouted in my head.

"Nah, not distracted. Seriously, you don't need to worry so much," I took a quick sigh, relieved to no longer be getting embarrassed, picked on, or scolded in front of my peers, at least. "If anything, I've been...happy, actually. Ever since the culture festival, I've felt...renewed? Things had been pretty tough on all of us ever since the summer training camp, and it was the first time that I felt back to normal. Better than normal, even."

I raised up my fist for a bump, momentarily forgetting that Momo wasn't quite cool enough to know what to do with that––so I just ended up awkwardly dropping it.

"That elates me, Kyoka. I was so proud of the emotion behind our performance, and even more proud to see the way you commanded that stage! It was a sight to behold, even watching from the back!" Momo perked up with a grin that I swear would make the angels turn green with envy.

"Ahaha, thanks…" was about the best I could do–-between eye contact and taking compliments, I'm not sure which I'm worse at these days.

"So! What happened this morning, then?" My taller, excessively more beautiful friend's smile turned a bit wry and I felt immediately in danger of being teased again. Please, no. Momo, you're all I have. "Stay up all night listening to some of your 'jams'? Forget to set your alarm?"

"...Something like that," I ran my hand through my hair in slight exasperation. Translation: Please don't press me any further. Thankfully, Momo is quick on the upkeep and gave me a simple smile and nod.

"Well! If you've been having difficulty sleeping, I can brew you some excellent tea before bedtime that will put you out like a light! Works like a charm every time! Just come by my dorm room. It's a bit cramped, but you're always welcome!"

"Thanks, Momo," I bowed respectfully, for some reason. We're the same age, in the same class, so why does talking to her feel like talking to a big sister or something!?

"Good luck with your combination attack!" The taller girl waved as she set down the other end of the hallway. If one more person mentioned to me that I was late or expressed concern over it, I would've lost my mind.

It's not that I'm embarrassed or ashamed at why I was late––okay, maybe a _little bit_ , but I just like to keep things underground. Is that so bad? Not everyone needs to be Izuku Midoriya, weeping openly in front of the entire class about this or that. I'm not comfortable being an open book, so what? The fact that I was up all night texting stupid Kaminari is my own business.

Er, yeah. That's what I was doing. In case you were wondering.

Kaminari and I have actually been texting each other pretty regularly ever since the culture festival. It felt like we became friends for real, instead of just two people who laugh at each other. Although, I still laugh at him. I don't know how someone who is that much of a moron made it into U.A.. Oh right, that broken quirk of his. At least I convinced him to occasionally start charging my cell phone for me. The music app drains a _ton_ of battery.

I'm getting off topic, though. Right after the culture festival, Kaminari started texting me at night. I guess he assumed we were "totally tight" or whatever. I wouldn't go that far...but it's not like I blocked his number, either. At first it was annoying. My phone was constantly buzzing with whatever dim witted idea was on his mind at the time.

" _jiro omg mineta just told me the best joke. knock knock (say whos there!)"  
_ " _do u think my sunglasses should b darker so u cant see my eyes. i think that would be p cool lol"  
_ " _can i borrow ur notes its just to compare i promise i wont copy pls jiro pls"  
_ " _jiro do NOT ignore this text ok. now tell me whats the difference between cementoss and a juice box? its a good one i promise!"_

I decided it was a new ultimate movie of his: _INDISCRIMINATE TEXT: 1.3 MILLION MESSAGES!_

In between the blather and his weird insistence on telling my knock knock jokes, a weird thing started happening. He started asking me questions. Not the usual questions like 'what did you put for question fifteen on today's homework' but questions about _me_. He started asking me what my favorite bands are (Deep Dope for LIFE), what kinds of foods I like best, stuff about when I was in junior high...The more he started doing that, the more we started regularly talking. I'd send him the best Deep Dope singles, he'd send me music from the bands that he seems to think are underground but are actually totally mainstream….I'd share a story about getting picked on when I was a kid and he'd offer one of his own. However I feel about Kaminari, and believe me, it changes hourly, I never really experienced someone taking an interest in me the way he was starting to. More and more, I looked forward to his texts at night. It was easier than talking in person, where I'm so much more compelled to guard myself. Just like in class today, when I actually have to look at his dumb face...it's awkward. Texting wasn't much, but it was a start.

A start of what, you might be wondering. Opening up more? Having more confidence in my personality? Getting the entirety of Class 1-A to listen to Deep Dope? Even I wasn't sure.

The day came and went––before long, I was meeting Kaminari in the TDL and he was looking cool as ever. Cool as ever? I meant _uncool_ as ever. He raised up his hand for a high five.

"Ready for the _awesome_ hero team-up of the Stun Gun Hero, Chargebolt, and the Hearing Hero, Earphone Jack?"

I slapped his hand without a second thought, brimming with a sudden confidence that the way he looked at me may or may not have inspired. Awkwardness? What awkwardness? I'm a hero, damn it!

"You know it. Ready as I'll ever be."

Or at least, I thought I was...


	3. Chapter 3: Ear to the Ground

Nevermind. It was impossible.

I collapsed onto rocky surface of the TDL as if it would provide me any sort of solace. No, just a sore back on top of a bruised ego. I kicked my feet because despite my aloofness I'm not above throwing a tantrum apparently. When you've been standing next to Kaminari for a week, it's kinda hard to be the most embarrassing of the two anyway.

"This sucks!" I growled in Kaminari's general direction. "We've tried synchronized attacks, follow-up attacks, _sneak_ attacks, _and_ whatever that...swirly thing you did was..."

"And it _still_ wasn't enough to impress Mr. Aizawa." I felt Kaminari slunk down next to me, as dejected as I was. I _also_ felt his shoe jabbing into my side as his whining continued, "I can't do supplementary lessons again, Jiro! You don't know what it was like, the _things I've seen_!"

"Like a lesson that's _not_ viewed from behind your closed eyelids? Horrifying." I pushed his gross foot as far away from me as possible.

"I only fall asleep in class because you're up late texting me…"

"Idiot! You text me _first_!" If I had the energy to throw something at him, I would have. Instead, he'd have to settle for being stabbed in the ankle with my earphone jack.

"Young Jiro! Young Kaminari! Don't tell me we have another fight between two of our students on our hands…" Suddenly, above me stood the world's greatest hero. Or at least, the person that used to be the world's greatest hero. There's a special kind of shame associated with the symbol of peace witnessing you childishly bicker with Denki fricking Kaminari.

"All Might!" Kaminari jumped up to his feet while I stayed on the ground. Somehow, getting up would've been more embarrassing than just being found on the floor. Y'know. Act casual and all.

But to tell you the truth. It had become hard to look at him, sometimes. It reminded me of that entire chain of events. Being gassed in the forest, waking up in the hospital, barely able to move. Watching All Might nearly give his life to defeat that villain...And now, all of society hangs in peril. Sunken like his eyes, sallow and deteriorating.

It's easy to forget that this isn't normal school. I'm training to take the place of people like All Might, defending the public from villains...Even in this form, he towered above me as I lay there on the ground. How could I ever hope to bridge that gap?

"We've actually come up with a ton of stuff but...every time we try to get Mr. Aizawa's approval, he tells us it's 'not what I'm looking for'." I mumbled up at All Might.

"We had such a cool one, too! Jiro broke open a huge hole in the ground where we trapped our opponents, and then I jumped in and electrocuted every that was inside! We could take out huge groups with that move! What's not to love, All Might? You're on our side, right?" How Kaminari could speak to him so casually was beyond me.

"It certainly does sound powerful, but…" All Might smiled slyly at Kaminari and then glanced down at me. Not only was All Might the strongest hero, but among the smartest, too. Of course I was listening. "Ask yourself this, Young Jiro. You broke open a hole in the ground for Young Kaminari to utilize his quirk inside of. That alone takes power and wit, but...Couldn't that same feat be accomplished by someone like Midoriya, Bakugo, or Ashido?"

It was _MY_ fault!? I shot straight up. "I...Yeah, it's a general kind of move, but that doesn't make it any less effective."

"What she said!" Thanks. Idiot.

All Might didn't seem convinced. He folded his arms and leaned down towards me, inspecting me. I could tell he was looking at my ears, which made them just a little bit hot. "The objective here isn't to create a powerful attack together, it's to utilize your quirks in tandem in a way that is wholly unique. You can't rely on the same tricks in battle, you have to use your quirks in ways that only they can be utilized. There are only so many ways you can tackle a problem head-on. Take it from someone who knows."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Kaminari jumped up and down, shouting at All Might despite the fact that it _did_ make perfect sense. What a moron.

All Might laughed and patted Kaminari on the head like he were some kind of dog. "Think carefully, I know you have it in you to do something spectacular." It was kind of cute. With those words All Might had already moved on to the next group of students.

"What the hell was THAT?" The idiot was waving his arms at me. Which was also kind of cute. But only in the way that a panda falling out of a tree is cute. Pathetic-Cute. Actually, I regret that statement completely. Strike this from the record, yeah?

"If All Might, king of 'smash yourself into a problem as hard as possible to solve it' thinks we're not thinking outside the box enough, then we're not thinking outside the box enough." I didn't need Kaminari's help to get back to my feet, but I made him lift me up anyway.

"How am I supposed to do that, exactly? All my quirk is good for is zapping the hell out of people! That and...I don't know, charging cell phones? I know it seems cool and all, but really this quirk is––" Something clicked, and I didn't care about whatever else was about to come out of his mouth.

"That's it!"

"What's it? Did you really drain your phone's battery already––"

"No, moron! Me! Charge _me!_ " I didn't think the wording there through properly. I could tell because Kaminari was gawking at me like a weirdo.

"Uh…"

"...Metaphorically, I mean. Charge me, um, in a sense. Well, not _me,_ I mean like...my quirk."

"I still don't get it."

"Dumbass!" Somewhat relieved that his stupidity railroaded my awkward turn of phrase, I marched up to him, "Back at the USJ, you said your quirk was like a GPS, right?"

"Did I say that out-loud…? Also, totally _not_ a dumbass! I'm in...full...cerebral activity mode still!"

"Oh my god, Kaminari. Just let me finish, I'm begging you."

"Okay, okay."

"If you can send and receive electrical signals, and you can filter that power through my earphone jacks, I could potentially pick up sound far more acutely from way further away!"

Kaminari either wasn't impressed, or had no idea what I was talking about. His blond hair began to dip down in front of his face.

"...Is that even how that works?"

"Just do what I say, alright!?" I had no idea.

After a few more minutes in which I futilely tried to explain my plan to Kaminari, I knelt down into my usual reconnaissance position - one earphone jack in the ground.

"So I'm like...what, completing a circuit, right?" He mused as I fought the instinct to jump when he sunk his hand onto my shoulder.

"Close enough. The 'circuit' isn't my entire body, though. You should probably just concentrate on my earphone jack, since that's where the sound typically passes through. So you can...stop touching my shoulder." I huffed.

"Oh, I figure that. Just gotta stay grounded, ya know! Well, not grounded in the electrical sense, but in the sense of being––"

"Yeah yeah!" I offered up my free earphone jack to him without stabbing him, which was a first. Very exciting. "Just grab the 'metal' part, oka––"

I was _not_ prepared for what that would feel like. You see, my earphone jacks aren't particularly sensitive. I train them by smashing them against _rocks._ They go through hell. I stab them into other things, into other people, and I never feel much of anything...thankfully so. Maybe it was something to do with his quirk, but the way that his thumb and index finger pinched the edge of my earphone jack...rolling it back and forth between his fingers...made my entire body react. It was like having someone breathing down your neck and tickling your side at the same time––neither of which feeling I'm familiar with, but it's what I imagine that's like. It felt…It _felt_...

"S-Stop touching it like that!" It took all I had to bat his hand off of it.

"Did I almost kill you or something? Oh man, I totally did, didn't I? I knew this was a stupid idea, just look how red in the face you a––" One earphone jack to the eye later, and we were well on our way to actually giving this technique a spin.

"Just hold it normally when you do it, okay? Don't like...start playing with it again. I'm not a toy."

"Y–"

"Stop."

At a certain point, you need to shut him down regardless of what he's going to say next.

Under my direction, we began the experiment. Now, when I use my quirk, it's like a torrent of noise enters my ear canal. Sometimes it feels nearly impossible to sift through, but with enough concentration and focus I can single out the sounds I'm looking for. As I felt Kaminari begin to pass his quirk through my own, something miraculous happened––it worked. I suddenly felt my range drastically increase, but as the range of what I could hear increased, so too did the torrent of noise begin to spin infinitely out of control. I was picking up noise from _everywhere_ , this building, the other UA facilities, and it seemed as though Kaminari's quirk also carried the sound that every single electronic device nearby. I had never been exposed to that level of sound before. It was thunderous static. I couldn't think, let alone concentrate on picking something up. What good was a technique that turns all of the vibrations and sounds nearby into deafening, garbled nonsense? My ear was about to start bleeding, and I worried if I didn't stop, I might go deaf.

But I felt his hand squeezing my shoulder. It wasn't just about him, or what Mr. Aizawa wanted, or All Might. The entire world was depending on this quirk of mine. Just find _something_ , Kyoka!

"You got this!" His voice cut through the static, and maybe it was because tears of pain were regretfully starting to leak, or maybe it was because I was practically hyperventilating on the ground, but I was so grateful. It grounded me. It reminded me where I was in regards to the rest of the sound. Just find something. One sound at one point, and focus in. Focus, focus…

" _There's been…"_

" _...still the matter of…"_

" _1A and 1B…"_

A group of people were talking. People I recognized. Sounds that stuck out in the chaos. Present Mic? And…

" _The best course of action is to keep them in the dark, lest they begin suspecting each other."_

Principal Nezu?

" _You're right. They're only kids. If they found out that one of them was a traitor in cahoots with the league of villains...Say goodbye camaraderie, and hello to unbridled chaos!"_

" _It's important that we have faith in our students, but as it stands, we have reason to believe one of them indeed notified the villains of the location of the training camp, and with multiple students injured and the chain of events that followed...we can't ignore this traitor."_

It felt like I was listening to a recording play out in fast-forward. My body snapped backward and my earphone jack ripped out of the ground. I did it. It worked! Kaminari swung around in front of me, hugging me and shouting words that I definitely couldn't hear. Did I actually go deaf? No, no I was just in shock as my mind raced to make the realization of what it had just heard.

I was crazy. I had to be. Because if there wasn't, it meant there was...a traitor among the students?

"Jiro! Jiro! Earth to Jiro!" The ringing eventually stopped and I couldn't ignore Kaminari vigorously shaking my shoulders. "You heard something, right? It totally worked, right, right?"

"...Yeah." At least, I thought it did.

"I knew it! We did it, just like I knew we would! You hear that everyone? We just mastered our combination technique! And it's called Long Range Reconnaissance: Lightning Vibration! Cool name, right Jiro?"

I felt myself collapse back to the floor, which was quickly becoming my new home. I dabbed a bit of blood from the inside of my ear. Shit.

I could've said something, but...glancing over at Kaminari's proud grin, it felt like it'd be a shame to ruin what was such a victorious moment for one of us. Besides, I was far from sure about what I heard.

"Right Jiro?"

In reality, I was in denial.

The truth was, there was a traitor among us, and knowing that chilled me to the bone. Looking out at my class, watching them sharpen their abilities...It had already begun.

"Jiroooo!"

Which one of us is it? My blood ran cold.

Try as I might, I couldn't keep my mind off the subject for the next few days. Even when Mr. Aizawa presented me and Kaminari with a hearty 'Nice work,' on our technique, I couldn't enjoy it. I couldn't sleep, and not because of Kaminari's dumb knock knock joke texts, either.

It was the following monday, late after curfew. I snuck out of my dorm and up to Kaminari's room. I rapped my knuckles lightly against his door. It took a few moments, but the door eventually cracked open slightly, revealing to me a half asleep, bed-headed Denki Kaminari.

"Jiro? You realize it's like...late-o-clock, right?"

"Something bad is happening at UA. And I think you're the only one that can help me figure out what's going on."

"Uhhhhh...what?"

I leaned my hand forward, ever so slightly pushing in on his door.

"Can...I come in? I don't think I can keep this to myself any longer."

At that moment, I think he realized how serious this was.

Because I was allowing him to see me in my pajamas.


End file.
